The invention proceeds from a device and a method for fractionating particulate-containing liquids, for instance chemical or biological solutions, particle suspensions, emulsions, among others, in which is or are disposed one or a plurality ingredients that are to be determined and/or investigated.
For determining and/or investigating ingredients that are disposed in particulate-containing liquids, for instance for analyzing a metabolic profile, the ingredients must be separated out of the liquid. This generally occurs using mechanical processes such as precipitation, filters, and centrifugation, or using mechanical means by extraction. The undesired particulates, for instance components of a nutrient medium in which biological units such as phages, cells, tissue, organs, organisms, or parts thereof, inter alia, were cultivated, or from a decomposition process of such components based on biological units, such as cellular debris, inter alia, are retained by the aforesaid methods, while the liquid with the ingredients to be determined or investigated are captured in separate containers (DE 102 01 858 A1) or drawn out of the apparatus (DE 198 17 081 A1). For obtaining the ingredients, there are also frequently washing processes and additional preparation steps that influence the ingredients, for instance the addition of an elution liquid. If it is to be possible to evaluate separately the result of each individual step, the individual fractions must be collected physically separately or must be able to be removed separately. Both of these options are associated with great complexity in terms of apparatus. Thus in a method for continuous purification of nucleic acid of cells, a collection tube and an outflow tube are selectively urged, by a switching mechanism, under the outlet of a filter apparatus that can be coated with different liquid compositions or different purifying liquids (DE 694 08 461 T2). The mechanism required for moving collection tube or outflow tube is relatively complex, especially if more than two containers are to be filled. In addition, without additional complexity, for instance housing the filter segment and the collection container in a common housing, it is not possible to create a hermetic seal between the liquid and the atmosphere when the liquid enters the tube.
Multistage separation under hermetic conditions is possible using series switching of a plurality of filter modules (DE 198 17 081 A1). The disadvantage of such an apparatus is comprised in that the different fractions must be manually pipetted from the liquid and purification liquids must be manually added to respective filter modules. In addition, the multistage filter unit requires a large amount of space.
In the figures, particular elements of the inventive device are numbered as follows:    1. Housing    2. Cover    3. Mount    4. Test vial    5. Filter mount    6. Filter    7. Specimen feed    8. Distribution system    9. Outlet    10. Adjusting wheel    11. Adapter    12. Collection apparatus    13. Conveyor mechanism